The present invention relates to flat non-porous unitary solid surface structures, and more particularly, to flat non-porous unitary solid surface products comprised of: (1) a matrix made of polymethylmethacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, or combinations thereof; and (2) one or more visible decorative objects that are permanently fixated in the matrix, and methods for manufacturing these products. These manufacturing methods do not involve using a mold or casting a liquid resin around the decorative object to be fixated. The solid surface products of the invention provide strikingly beautiful and unusual visual effects that are difficult to describe in words.
Solid surface products made of cured polymethylmethacrylate containing fine microscopic particles of inert inorganic fillers are known in the art. It is believed that all of the prior art polymethylmethacrylate solid surface products are made by using a mold and by casting therein a liquid acrylic resin which is then cured to form polymethylmethacrylate. For example, E. I. DuPont de Nemours and Company originated the solid surface category of products more than thirty years ago when it introduced the synthetic product sold under the trademark CORIAN which is believed to be a polymethylmethacrylate matrix containing large amounts of microscopic particles of inert inorganic fillers. It is believed that CORIAN is made by casting a liquid acrylic resin in a mold of some type and then curing the resin to form polymethylmethacrylate. CORIAN is usually an opaque product which mimics the decorative effect of marble. CORIAN is useful for kitchen countertops, kitchen sinks, bathroom lavatories, desktops, windowsills, and the like. Several patents owned by DuPont describe casting plastic simulated marble building products which are believed to be CORIAN. See Slocum U.S. Reissue Pat. No. Re 27,093, Duggins U.S. Pat. No. 3,488,246, Duggins et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,642,975, Duggins U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,865, and Duggins et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,107,135. In general terms, these DuPont patents describe cast products which are made of cured polymethylmethacrylate containing 30% to 80% by weight of microscopic particles (for example, particles having an average size of 7 microns) of inert inorganic fillers such as calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, clay, silica, glass, calcium silicate, alumina, carbon black, titania, powdered metals, and alumina trihydrate.
Other synthetic solid surface products are sold by Avonite, Inc. under the trademark AVONITE which mimic the decorative effect of artificial stone. Risley U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,290 assigned to Avonite, Inc. describes dehydrating alumina trihydrate, rehydrating with a solution of dye, drying the solution to make colored alumina trihydrate, adding the colored alumina trihydrate to a resin matrix containing inert fillers, and cast to make a fire retardant solid decorative material having the appearance of artificial granite. The resin matrix may be ortho or iso polyesters, acrylics, or polycarbonates. The product may be in the form of a sheet or slab for kitchen countertops and decorative architectural surfaces or facades.
Eckart et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,958,539 assigned to Eastman Chemical Company discloses a thermoplastic article having a fabric comprised of textile fibers embedded therein produced by applying heat and pressure to a laminate comprising, in order, (1) an upper sheet material, (2) a fabric comprised of textile fibers, and (3) a lower sheet material to produce a thermoplastic article having the fabric embedded therein. The upper and lower sheet materials are specifically made of a PETG copolyester available from Eastman Chemical Company. PETG is the acronym for polyethylene terephthalate glycol.
A similar patent is Eckart et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,028 assigned to Eastman Chemical Company which discloses a thermoplastic article having metallic wire, rod, and/or bar embedded therein produced by applying heat and pressure to a laminate comprising, in order, (1) an upper sheet material, (2) metallic wire, rods, or bars, and (3) a lower sheet material to produce a thermoplastic article having the metallic wire, rod, and/or bar embedded therein. As in Eckart et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,958,539 above, the upper and lower sheet materials are specifically made of a PETG copolyester available from Eastman Chemical Company.
Another similar patent is Eckart et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,025,069 assigned to Eastman Chemical Company which discloses a thermoplastic article having a high-relief, molded or embossed surface produced by contacting a laminate comprising a first or outer copolyester sheet material and a second or backing copolyester sheet material with heat and pressure using a heated element which simultaneously causes the material to be bonded and a high-relief, decorative appearance to be produced on at least one surface of the thermoplastic article. Also disclosed is an embossed or molded, bonded laminate comprising, in order, (1) a first or outer copolyester layer, (2) a second layer comprising a film which is colored or which bears an image or pattern, and (3) a third or backing copolyester layer, wherein the first and third layers are composed on the copolyester. As in Eckart et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,958,539 and Eckart et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,028 above, the copolyester layers are specifically made of a PETG copolyester available from Eastman Chemical Company.
Prior to the present invention, there existed a long-felt need for a dry process for making a unitary solid surface product comprised of: (1) a matrix made of polymethylmethacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, or combinations thereof; and (2) one or more visible decorative objects (objects that are visible to the unaided human eye) that are permanently fixated in the matrix. It was believed by knowledgeable people in the plastics industry that it was not possible to make such a solid surface product without using a mold and casting therein a liquid resin around the object to be fixated. It is believed that researchers who attempted to make such products using a dry process (that is, without using a mold and casting a liquid resin around the object to be fixated) produced products which contained defects such as air bubbles entrapped in the matrix, voids in the matrix, or cracks in the matrix.
Extensive research finally led to the present invention which allows an object to be fixated in a unitary matrix made of polymethylmethacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, or combinations thereof, without using a mold and casting therein a liquid resin around the object. In addition, the present invention provides aesthetically-pleasing products which are free of defects of the type referred to above.
In one embodiment the invention is a flat non-porous unitary solid surface structure comprised of: (a) a flat non-porous unitary thermoplastic polymeric matrix made of polymethylmethacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, or combinations thereof; and (b) a visible decorative object that is permanently fixated in the matrix, wherein the decorative object extends to least one edge of the matrix.
In another aspect the invention is a method for manufacturing the flat non-porous unitary solid surface structure including the steps of: (a) providing a first flat non-porous unitary thermoplastic polymeric sheet made of polymethylmethacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, or polycarbonate; (b) placing a decorative object on the first sheet of polymeric material wherein the decorative object extends beyond at least one edge of the first sheet of polymeric material; (c) placing a second flat non-porous unitary thermoplastic polymeric sheet of made of polymethylmethacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, or polycarbonate on top of the decorative object wherein the decorative object also extends beyond at least the corresponding edge of the second sheet of polymeric material, whereby a lay-up sandwich is formed comprised of the first flat sheet of polymeric material, the decorative object which extends beyond at least one edge of both of the sheets of polymeric material, and the second flat sheet of polymeric material; (d) loading the lay-up sandwich into a press; (e) applying a predetermined amount of heat and pressure to the lay-up sandwich for a predetermined period of time; (f) opening the press to allow air and gases to escape from the lay-up sandwich; (g) closing the press and applying a predetermined amount of heat and pressure to the lay-up sandwich for a predetermined period of time whereby the first and second polymeric material sheets melt together in the lay-up sandwich to provide a unitary product; and, (h) allowing the product to cool while maintaining the pressure at a predetermined level until the product reaches a predetermined temperature at which point the press is opened and the product is removed from the press.